Time for me to bow out - but the Purple Heart campaign beats on stronger than ever

Well, time and tide wait for no man as they say and it’s with so much sadness I have to say this will be my last column on dementia in this incredible, wonderful, future thinking newspaper.
When I was asked to write weekly column in here I said yes in a heartbeat, how could I not? Someone actually had the foresight to ask someone living with dementia what is was like and to try and write the experience’s down for all to see. That in itself was ground-breaking in so many ways and possibly a huge gamble. You see, dementia has never been a 'sexy' subject as the media say, and I knew opinions could go either way, but as they say “Fortune favours the Brave “ and we did it.
Words cannot express how grateful I will always be to Jim Parker and Nikki Belso for letting me do this over the years. Their confidence in me helped me so much.
Sadly I now face the biggest battle of my life as my dementia is getting worse and my abilities diminish, but the fire within me still burns and I have no intention of going anywhere just yet hopefully. I just need more time now to spend away from the computer, and with my family and friends and enjoy what we have right here in front of us day by day.
The global Purple Angel dementia campaign, started right here in little old Torbay, is now recognised on over 60 Countries worldwide and is in a great place with a new chairperson, steering group and volunteers and have so many plans for the future. I, for one can sleep at night now knowing it’s something that will carry in for many years to come. Its memory café has been going for nearly nine years now and survived where many have not, and we still don’t charge a penny for what we do, not many can say that in this day and age.
I could not say good bye without mentioning the fantastic people of Torbay who have supported us through thick and thin down the years, what an incredible lot you are. Torbay really is unique in so many ways and yet so very similar to my birth town of Bolton in Lancashire when it comes to community spirit and helping each other. You really do have to only scratch the surface and see what’s going on every day in Torbay and how many are helping each other through hard times, not for the accolades, not for the pat on the back, but out of humility and helping fellow human beings get through what they have probably been through themselves.
Here at the Purple Angel dementia campaign, which started out as you know all those years back as the Torbay Dementia Action Alliance, is something we are still so very proud of and will never be forgotten. We were no different that anybody else and wanted our voices heard to make sure that all those within our community who live with dementia and their families had a better life, more enjoyable life and felt more like a part of the wonderful community we have here in Torbay by being more included and accepted.
I am hoping we have achieved that in some small way and will continue serving the people of Torbay in the best way we can because of all the support we have received from them. They certainly deserve it. So? If you do see this happy chappy, bumbling about, please say hi, give us a wave, and always remember - there is always life after a diagnosis.